Whilst we are in an exciting new age for those wishing to create significance and increase sales through an ever-widening variety of channels, there is also an unprecedented opportunity to frustrate, irritate and anger those we are trying to reach. Put simply, how can we engage not enrage? How do we lead people towards products and services rather than have them pledge never, ever to use them because of intrusive marketing?
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UK Marketing – A bear market?
Signs of economic recovery have been reflected in the UK marketing sector, with record spending on advertising in 2013. Moreover, we have just experienced our annual love-in with Christmas TV adverts, traditional advertising is cited by SMEs as a relatively ineffective way of engaging with customers. To use the John Lewis’ ‘Bear & Hare’ Christmas campaign as an analogy – for most advertisers in print, radio or TV – the gift alarm clock purchased in the campaign is too quiet to elicit a response.
Although email and web/SEO-based marketing campaigns are cited as the best way to instigate action in potential customers, we should also heed the growing industry words of caution. According to a 2013 US study nearly two-thirds (62%) of Brits found online ads annoying, with only 12% of respondents saying they preferred online ads to their TV equivalents. However, on a brighter note, there is considerable evidence to support the claim that people respond to great content, with 68% saying ads should tell a unique story and 92% preferring the underlying message to be conveyed with humour rather than sold with a sexual angle.
The popular response to many online campaigns is succinctly summarised by Marketing Director Paula Swirla: “People are being replaced with social and technology platforms, creating an annoyance in the digital space. The new “norm” is technology that provides us with countless options but must also be fast, smart and intuitive.”
In 2011, US digital consultant, Gavin Jocius wrote the book ‘The Age of Annoyance – Managing our Frustrations with Information Overload’, a manifesto for those struggling to deal with the tsunami of messaging we encounter every day with a sense of good grace.
Out with the old, in with the NEW – An icy reception for cold calling and snail mail
Though new methods of ‘engagement’ have come in for criticism – there is some justification to the argument that many of the methods which online has replaced, are outdated and moribund. Cold calling – long seen as arguably the way to maximise irritation – can no longer be seen as an effective method of engagement. Telemarketing remains highly effective, but as a part of a multi-channel sales lead generation approach and seamlessly integrated campaign; facilitating a more favourable and productive warm calling campaign.
A Texas university’s study in 2011 found only 0.3% (19) of 6,264 calls produced appointments with prospective clients. Whilst this number differed depending on controllable factors such as time of day, there is scant evidence cold calling achieves much other than alienating target audiences. In the UK 43% of recipients complain to friends and family about nuisance calls – but only 17% make an official report.
The situation is, however, of sufficient significance for the government to look to use the law to bolster regulation of the sector There is every indication that cold calling will increasingly be frozen out of the marketing mix.
What’s more, direct mail may be a vital source of income for the Royal Mail and recycling companies but you’re unlikely to get more than a 3% response rate to any traditional mail campaign, and that’s only if it is particularly eye-catching. Rising postal costs and lack of pizzazz in the medium of print mean that to all intents and purposes snail mail marketing is dead.
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So what is engagement? BEST WAYS to switch on your audience…
- Engage with prospects, customers and service users via as many channels as possible. Not only does this engender trust, but is a vital way of checking the vital signs of your business. Lack of assistance is just as irritating online as it is on the high street
- Seek to simultaneously inform and entertain whenever possible. The volume of content out there is vastly greater than our collective attention span. Be different
- Configure your website to work seamlessly with mobile devices, including minimal text, clear navigation and a ‘click to call’ button, as well as compatibility with appropriate social media. According to Forbes Magazine 87% of connected devices by 2017 will be smart-phones and tablets
- Give a degree of control to those who sign up to your website, newsletter or other communications over what they receive and how
- Social media doesn’t just equal Facebook and Twitter – there are a full range of engagement tools which have a variety of uses. Think LinkedIn, Pinterest, Yammer, Google+ and more
- Employ innovative ways to target your audience – such as this campaign to hire talented art directors by placing the ads within the content of stock photo sites
- Have a little humility when appropriate
- Disrupt the conventional message – the Sony campaign DSLR Gear – No Idea gently mocked those who bought needlessly complicated cameras without knowing how to use them
- User-generated content
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Some approaches to AVOID
There are some tried and tested methods guaranteed to get people’s backs up. At all costs DO NOT:
- Have a website which is copy-heavy, badly designed and maintained and confusing to navigate
- Send people poorly targeted and over sales-like marketing emails. N.B. – A well written landing page offering a guide or other valued-added collateral will endear you far more than an unsolicited pushy email
- Try to sell to people before gaining trust
- Include too many disclaimers, terms and conditions and other forms of unnecessary legalese
- Appear rude, aloof, dishonest, uninterested or detached from your customer base
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Still ENGAGED? Get in touch!
Sales Accelerant offers inbound marketing and outbound sales lead generation services. You can get up to date advice on how to create significance for your business with a fully integrated multi-channel sales lead generation strategy tailored to engage, not enrage, your prospects.
Call us NOW on 0845 3058145 or email us – the first step to tangible increases in traffic and significant sales.
